“Sure if we had been in First we would have had a very good season, “he commented Diego Lopez, who knows this for a while, in one of his press conferences when the season was just starting. Nobody goes unnoticed the level of Spanish, a super squad, the most expensive in the category that has complex situations for the coach like the ones he will find now Vicente Moreno in the extremes. Recovery of Alvaro Vadillo and the hatching of Nico Melamed they add wild competition for just two spots.
Apart from the two mentioned players, the coach counts for that position with Matías Vargas and Adrián Embarba, as natural footballers, and Javi Puado and Wu Lei. as resources, taking into account that up to now it has practically aligned RdT and Oscar Melendo in the tip and playmaker. Due to the versatility of the wingers, if injuries do not return, there will be players who will vary their position to distribute the minutes: Embarba, Puado and Melamed can act behind RdT.
The situation of each one of them is different, but they all come together in the need to have minutes. Embarba is RdT's main partner, a role model according to Moreno and an unbalanced footballer, so he has practically the position assured. Along with him, Vadillo, a winger with the same virtues who became a brand new summer signing of Rufete, sports general director, although injuries have not allowed him to continue. The player arrives on loan with a purchase option in case of promotion (the fine print of the contract is unknown), so it could also become a bet for the future.
Nico Melamed, last year at First.
JOAN MONFORT
The Vargas case, the last option
The one who has less and less weight is Matías Vargas, another of the signings who have not provided the expected level despite some qualities that led him to start with Argentina. The player, whose transfer exceeded ten million, He is right now the last on the list to occupy this demarcation, and he has only participated in the League for 424 minutes, just 12 since the end of November. Although no starting movements are expected, a loan would not be frowned upon so that he can have more minutes.
The situation of Nico Melamed. At 19, the midfielder has knocked down the door. Although Moreno is giving him minutes shyly, his good performances every time he plays (in Las Palmas he scored another goal but was annulled by the VAR) demand more prominence, at a time when young players, like Pedri or Ansu Fati in BarcelonaThey are also playing ahead of other more contrasted footballers.
The most likely cases are those of Javi Puado and Wu Lei. Both have acted on the flanks but can play up front, as they have done on several occasions. The Barcelona player, a complete footballer who understands the game, performs adequately in different positions, in fact against Las Palmas he acted as a right back in the minutes of despair. Wu Lei, who also claims his quota of minutes, takes advantage of goals in the Cup and acts as a resource to give RdT rest. The competition grow and that should help to see a better Espanyol.